


I Would Make You Stay

by naruchiha



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: M/M, akeshu - Freeform, shuake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24327982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naruchiha/pseuds/naruchiha
Summary: Akira Kurusu must overcome the events of the past and move forward, but how can he when the one he wants most to be by his side, is no longer there?Akira remembers the events leading up to Akechi's death, figuring out how he is supposed to continue life without him, even when the world starts acting weird.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira
Kudos: 21





	I Would Make You Stay

**Author's Note:**

> **THIS WORK WILL CONTAIN PERSONA 5 ROYAL SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME THEN DO NOT READ THIS WORK!**
> 
> This work will be in Akira's POV.

I remember it like it happened yesterday…

The sirens blasting against my eardrums, the floors shaking. The scared faces of my teammates surrounding me. The wall closes in separating me from him. 

I reached my arm out, wishing in some kind of way my hand would extend out further to grab him and pull him to me. 

I screamed out to him, but I was never sure if I was actually screaming or if I just couldn’t hear the sound of my own voice. 

I dashed forward, hearing the screams and cries of my teammates to stop, feeling the arms of my best friend wrap around me pressing me tightly against his chest.

“Akira!! Snap out of it!!” he yelled, using all his strength to keep me from moving, but I kept pushing forward. 

“I need to get to him!” I shouted, pushing my best friend's arms off me, barely taking a step forward before hearing the one I’m after voice. 

“Akira, it’s okay,” he softly smiled at me through the cracks in his black mask, his fingers clenched against his forearm, his eyes making direct contact with mine, “you’ll be okay.” 

The last thing I saw on his face was closed eyes, and his mouth whispering “maybe in another life things could have been different.”

I felt the warm tears stream down my face, my teeth tightly clenched together and my fists closed so hard that I could feel my nails digging into my skin through my bright red gloves. 

This isn’t how things should have to end. This isn’t how it has to be! 

I pushed forward again hoping to make it in time before the wall completely closed. 

But I was too late. 

The wall met with the floor, my fists met with the wall. 

“AKECHI!!!!” I screamed, slamming my fist against the hard metal. 

“How pitiful, even your teammates cry for a loser like you.” it was his shadow talking, which infuriated me. 

Before I could say another word, the last gunshot went off, and everything was silent. 

“Goro…” I whispered, staring at the chunk of metal in front of me. 

“He’s...gone. His reading is gone.” Futaba said softly. 

“No…” I was barely able to get the word to leave my lips. My whole body was shaking so bad I couldn’t stand anymore. 

I fell to the ground, more tears fell down my face. 

None of my teammates have seen me like this, they probably don’t even know what to do with me at this moment. 

“Akira…” Ryuji said, bending down to my level, “come on, let’s go.”

I nodded at my best friend, knowing he’s completely right. There are things that still need to be done. 

I dropped my face into my hands, trying to hold back the tears of my memory. The attic was colder than usual, but then again, I’ve felt colder since that day. 

“In another life, I would make you stay.” I mumbled to myself. 

_“Akira, it’s okay.”_

How could any of this be okay? How can a life without you be okay?

This isn’t okay. 

Before I knew it, we were running through mementos ready to destroy the place. To get rid of the metaverse entirely. 

It was the next big step of our journey as phantom thieves. 

It’s been days since Shido’s palace, I've lost track of the exact amount of time that has passed. 

I’ve been smiling and attempting to act as I’d normally do, but I’m sure my teammates can see right through it. 

We fought the holy grail, found out he’s actually a fucking god then we all disappeared, reappeared, and discovered the man who was aiding me on my journey was the holy grail himself. We reassembled, and took him down. 

Then we were standing in the middle of Shibuya, snow falling from the sky. 

“Oh yeah,” I softly spoke, “it’s Christmas huh?” I stared up at the dark sky, watching and feeling the snow land upon my face. 

“I completely forgot about Christmas!” Ryuji yelled, “we need to have a celebration!”

“Yeah! We can hold it at Leblanc!” Futaba chimes in, “right Akira?” 

I looked down at her, giving a smile, “of course.” 

“Bosses coffee sounds pretty good right about now.” Yusuke said, rubbing his hands across his arms. 

“I couldn’t agree more!” Haru said mimicking Yusuke. 

“Then, shall we go?” Makoto said, linking arms with Ann. 

“You bet!” Ann replied. 

I stood there watching my teammates leave. 

I looked back up at the sky, the tears filling up my eyes. 

“We did it Akechi,” I whispered, “we did it…”

“Oh! There you are!” 

Her voice brought me back down to Earth, it was Sae. 

“I saw everyone else, why aren’t you with them?” she asked. 

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to play cool, “I just wanted to get a better look at the snow. You don’t get to see this kind of snow out in the country.” 

Sae nodded, “I see, that is true. You probably get a lot more snow out there huh?” 

I looked down at the snow-covered street, “well I should be catching up with the others.” 

“Wait I actually need to talk to you.” 

“Oh?” 

I listened to her speak. The words hitting me hard like a subway train. 

“But if I turn myself in they’ll send me to prison!” I shouted. 

“Shh!” Sae hushed me, moving her eyes around the people around us who were now staring, “you’d be sent to juvenile detention since you are still of the age of seventeen.”

I clenched my fist, “is this the only way?”

Sae nodded, “yes, this is to make sure the safety of everyone involved with you.” 

I knew it would come to this someday if we weren’t careful. I was already caught before, they would come for me sooner later anyways. 

I opened my mouth to speak but was stopped by another voice. 

“I refuse to accept that this is the only way!” 

My eyes widened, my heart stopped. No it couldn’t be. There’s no way! 

I turned to face him, my eyes couldn’t believe it. 

Akechi stood beside me, arms crossed, and a big smile on his face. 

“Akechi!” Sae said.

“Yes it is me, couldn’t you tell?” he said sarcastically. 

“But how are you here?!” I shouted, “you're supposed to be dead!”

“Akira!” Sae yelled, motioning to the other people around us.

I tucked my bottom lip under my teeth, trying to not like the waterworks start. I tilted my head down to keep myself from looking at his face. 

“Anyways this is not the only option we have,” Akechi continued, “we have another.” 

“And what would that be?” Sae wasn’t ready to believe anything he had to say, it was all over her face. 

“I’ll take the blame for this.” 

I snapped my head back up, “no you can’t do that!” I snapped at him. 

Akechi turned to me, his brows pointed downward, eyes pierced with anger stared back at me, “and why the hell not?” 

“I won’t let you take the fall for me!” 

Akechi’s face relaxed. He dropped his arms to his side, but hands formed into fists, “just let me do this for you!” he softly snapped. 

“You’re eighteen, Akechi, they will send you to prison!” I raised my voice. 

“I don’t care! it’s what I deserve anyway!” he snapped. 

I looked down at the ground, wrapping my arms around myself, “you don’t deserve any of this…” I whispered. 

“Akira, look at me.” 

I looked back up at him, he now had a soft smile, a fake one, but a smile, “it’s okay.” 

He said those words to me before he died, how could I believe those words. 

I looked back away from him, not saying another word. 

“Akechi, if you’re sure about this we can go to the station now.” Sae spoke up. 

“Yes I’m ready.” 

I was then left alone, on Christmas eve, in the middle of the street in Shibuya. Completely letting Akechi take the fall for me. 

It’s now New Year’s eve, everyone is gathered here at Leblanc for a party. 

Everyone except Akechi. 

The party came and went. My phone blew up with photos from the party and everyone talking about New Years' wishes. 

Wishes huh? 

Even if I believed in something like that, I don't even know what I could wish for. 

I laid down in bed, Morgana jumping up and laying down on my chest. 

I smiled down at him, he really is like a pet now. 

I closed my eyes. 

I wish to see Akechi again. Does that count? 

The next day came, I promised Kasumi to go to the shrine with her. 

I got up and changed and went downstairs. 

Coffee and curry filled the Leblanc as normal, but the smell was more vibrant than usual. 

“Good morning chief.” I said setting my bad down on the counter.

“You’re up early,” Sojiro chuckled, putting a small cup of coffee and a plate of curry in front of me, “got plans?” 

I nodded, “taking Kasumi to a shrine.” I picked up the cup, putting the slick ceramic to my lip, inhaling the coffee, feeling the warmness fill my body. 

“She’s a good girl, show her a good time, yeah?” Sojiro said, giving me a wink. 

I half smiled back at him, she’s a friend, of course, I’ll make sure she has a good time. 

“Oh I didn’t know you were going to a shrine today? Can I come too?” 

I didn’t recognize the voice, I turned to my right and saw some man now in my face.

“Ah, I’m sorry but who are you? and personal space please.”

The man purses his lips, sitting back down into his seat, “this is a joke, right? you see me every day!” 

“Did you hit your head or something Akira?” Sojiro shook his head, “Morgana, pay no mind to him.” 

Morgana?!? 

I stood up in my seat, “Morgana?!” 

He dropped his head into his palm, “of course it’s me who the hell else would I be?” 

I glanced at the clock, “shit I’m going to be late!” 

I grabbed my bag and ran out of the cafe. 

I pulled my phone from my pocket, ready to dial Kasumi’s number to give her a call, but another weird thing happened. 

I saw Futaba. 

“Akira! where are you running off to?” she said bubbly as usual.

“I’m going to see Kasumi.” 

“Oh!! tell her I said hello!” Futaba smiled, then clung to the arm of the woman beside her, “come on mom! Sojiro has curry waiting for us!!”

Mom?!?

I took a good look at her, and it was Wakaba alright. But how?!

“Okay, Futaba I’m coming,” she slowly followed behind her daughter, but stopped and gave me a smile, “it’s good to see you again, Akira.” 

My eyes widened, what does she mean by that?!

My phone started buzzing, it was Kasumi calling. 

I answered, “Hey Sumi, I’m running a little late. I apologize I’ll be there soon!”

“Umm, Senapi?” her voice was shaken.

“Kasumi? what’s wrong?” I started sprinting to the subway station, something was wrong.

“Something weird just happened. The others showed up to the shrine, but it was completely off.” 

I stopped running, “what do you mean by that?” 

“Ryuji was talking about hanging out with the track team and about their training for the meet. Haru and Makoto said they had plans with their fathers, Ann is meeting up with Shiho to study for the test that we’d have school resumes and then Yusuke said he was going back home to Madarame.” 

I froze at those words. How could this be? 

“Senpai?” 

“I’m here Sumi, where are you?” 

“I’m still at the shrine, the others are still here too, everyone but Futaba.” 

“I just saw Futaba...with Wakaba.” I said. 

“Senpai what’s going on?” 

That’s what I want to know. How are people who are supposed to be dead alive? Ryuji with the track team? He said he wouldn’t ever go back! Haru and Makoto’s fathers? They aren’t alive? Same with Futaba’s mother.   
Yusuke with Madarame? isn’t he in jail?

What is going on? 

“Oh senpai?”

“Yes, Sumi?” 

“I saw Akechi when I left the subway, I tried talking to him but he said he had to go somewhere. Senpai this is weird, isn’t Akechi supposed to be in jail? I thought he turned himself in?”

Akechi was at the subway station?

I looked forward to the station, seeing Akechi standing in the distance. 

So that’s where he had to be. 

“Sumi, I need you to stay with the others okay? I’ll be there soon, something just came up.” I stared down at Akechi, the draggers in my eyes piercing through his very soul. 

“Okay...Akechi is with you, isn't he?”

“Yes, he just showed up. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

I ended the call, seeing Akechi clear as day now that he’s standing in front of me. 

“Awe, was that your lover on the line? did I ruin any plans?” Akechi smirked, being completely sarcastic. 

“Cut the bullshit,” I crossed my arms over my chest, closing my eyes and facing my head downward, “you’re here for a reason aren’t you?” 

“How perceptive, you know me so well!” Akechi chuckled, walking closer to me. 

I felt his breath against my cheek, his hand on my shoulder, “we need to talk,” he whispered, “where no one else can hear us.” 

I opened my eyes and glanced over at him, “you know what’s going on, don’t you?” 

He smiled, “I probably know just as much as you do, but that’s exactly why we need to talk.” 

Akechi walked away, motioning his hand for me to follow. So I did. 

We hid away in the laundromat across from Leblanc and the bathhouse.

Akechi pulled his scarf from his neck, throwing it into one of the washing machines and dropping a coin and some soap, starting the machine up. 

“Just in case someone wants to try and eavesdrop.” Akechi said, leaning up against the other machines, crossing his arms.

I stared at him, watching as he just stared down at the running washing machine. 

I gripped my forearms with my hands, my skin feeling the pinch from my fingers. 

“Say it,” Akechi mumbled, “I know you have something on your mind, you forgot I know you all too well too.” 

“How,” I softly spoke, “how are you still alive.” 

“That’s irrelevant right now.” 

I slammed my fist onto the running machine, not startling Akechi one bit, all it did was cause him to now look at me, “it’s not irrelevant! we watched you close the wall between us! we heard the gunshot! we watched your signal disappear right in front of Futaba’s eyes. How can you say this is irrelevant?!” 

“Akira, please keep your voice down, we care here so people won’t hear us.”

I looked down at the tile floor, “how can you be so calm?” 

“Because my life isn’t what’s important right now. There are people who are supposed to be dead way long before me and they are walking around, living and breathing like everyone else.” 

I nodded, “I saw Wakaba with my own eyes, and Kasumi called and told me everything else.” 

“What is weirder,” Akechi said, pulling his phone from his pocket, “the metaverse app is still on my phone.” 

I stared blankly at him, “what?” 

Akechi turned his phone towards me, showing the red eyeball in all its glory.

I quickly pulled out my phone, seeing it there as well. 

“We destroyed mementos, how the hell is this still here?” I was confused, how could this be possible. 

“That’s why I came to you. You’re the only one who does not seem to be affected by this.” 

I stared deeply into his eyes, why wasn’t I affected? 

“We need to get to the bottom of this.” I said pushing my phone back into my pocket. 

“I agree,” Akechi said, “so let’s strike a deal one last time and work together.” 

“Remember what happened last time we worked together.” I mumbled. 

“I have no reason to betray you this time. Plus the only reason why I did was becau-“

“Because of Shido,” I said, turning away from Akechi, the memories of his betrayal flooding back to my head, “I know this was all his fault.” 

I heard Akechi sigh, his breath sounding shaken, as if trying to hold back tears, “so do we have a deal?” 

I nodded, “yes we do.”

“Good, now I need you to tell me anything weird that has happened recently.”

“Morgana is no longer a cat.” 

“He...he’s a human?” 

I turned back to face him, “yep.”

“That is certainly odd.” 

I thought of anything else that could have been weird, but then that memory came back to me. 

“Speaking of Morgana,” I said putting my fingers to my chin, “we went to find Kasumi after class one day, and she was in front of this building in the process of being built, or that’s where she said she was, but she wasn’t there. and come to find out it was actually a palace but it was somehow in this world.”

Akechi gripped my shoulders with both hands, “and why am I just now hearing about this?!”

I shoved his hands off me, “because you weren’t a part of our team yet at that point, so sharing that information with you wasn’t needed.”

Akechi seemed hurt by that comment, but it didn’t matter. He doesn’t know the amount of hurt he’s dealt to me. 

“Actually,” I continued, “Morgana, Kasumi, and I never told anyone else about this incident.” 

My phone rang, I pulled it out of my pocket, seeing Kasumi calling. 

“Go ahead and answer it.” Akechi said waving a hand at me. 

I answered, “Sumi what’s the matter?”

“Senpai I’m sorry but I left the shrine, and I’m in front of the building we went into before with Morgana senpai. You’re with Akechi right? I need you both to come here.”

So we did. 

The three of us became a trio, taking apart the palace the best we could. 

It felt good, having the power to use my personas again. But it felt even greater to fight alongside Akechi again. 

We discovered the truth. On who was running the palace. And who Kasumi actually was. 

Dr. Takuto Maruki. 

This was all his doing. 

We learned his truth. We couldn’t believe it. 

“Sumire, are you sure you want to be here with us to have this meeting?” Akechi asked, staring down at her. 

The clock in Leblanc ticked away in the silence of the cafe. I poured three cups of coffee into small cups, giving one to Sumi, Akechi and myself. 

“She deserves to be here,” I snapped at him, “she has just as much to do with this.” 

“I’m fine you two,” she said, glancing back and forth between us, “what’s more important is getting the other phantom thieves back on the same page as us.”

“She’s right,” Akechi sighed, “we won’t be able to take Maruki down without help.”

“I’ll talk to the others.” I said, looking down at my coffee.

Akechi took a small sip, “I can say for sure that I damn well missed drinking your coffee.”

I softly smiled, hearing that made my heart start beating again. Because the moment Akechi left my life it stopped. 

The three of us said our goodbyes for the night, and it was now up to me to get everyone back on track. 

The next few days I spent talking to everyone, getting them to understand and remember what actually happened, that this isn’t our reality. 

Everyone snapped out of it, and we were back to being the phantom thieves, and Morgana was back to his cat self. 

We stormed the palace, using all our power to do what needed to be done until we reached the end. 

Maruki gave us a time limit, to think over if we really wanted to do this or not. 

That if we accept him, we could live happy lives. 

The clock was ticking. 

I had a lot of thinking to do. 

The day came where Maruki showed up to the cafe. 

“Ah! where is everyone?” Maruki asked, sitting down at one of the booths. 

“Chief had to go grocery shopping, Futaba is with Wakaba, spending the last time she has with her.”

“and the cat?” 

“He’s with Futaba.”

Maruki nodded, “you know, you could always have this happiness if you accept my offer.”

I crossed my arms, leaning against the counter, “and why would we accept this?”

Maruki smiled, “because I also did this for you.”

I raised my eyebrow, “did this for me? this doesn’t affect me at all.”

“Oh? but it does,” Maruki turned and faced the cafe’s door, “isn’t that right, Akechi?”

Akechi opened the door and walked in, “how did you know I was out there?”

“It was a guess actually, but you two always seem to be together, so it was more or less that I knew you’d be here.” Maruki smiled again. 

“How does this affect me?!” I snapped, demanding I be told.

“Because you want to be with him, don’t you?” 

My eyes widened, my heart stopped. 

“How did you..” I mumbled. 

“When you came to me for counseling, I saw the look in your eyes when you talked about him, and when I overheard from you and your team about what happened to him, I couldn’t let it slide.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Akechi scoffed. 

“The two of you didn’t get to properly grow the way you needed to,” Maruki stood up, “you two were fated to meet, but due to certain circumstances, your time together met an end. I gave you two the chance to properly restart and do this over, the right way.”

I didn’t know what to say or how to even respond. I thought I wasn’t affected by this, but in the end I was the one affected by it the most.

“Also,” Maruki continued, “if you choose to go against me, I’ll welcome the fight, but just know, that taking me down means the world goes back to how it was beforehand, and I mean everything.” 

My heart stopped at those words, knowing full well what it meant. 

Maruki took his leave, leaving me along Akechi. 

The clock’s ticks pushed past the silence until I finally spoke up. 

“You knew, didn’t you?” I looked at him, him turning to face me, “you knew from the very beginning that if we went along with this you would no longer exist!” 

“Of course I did!” Akechi snapped back, “but I dealt my whole life listening and obeying rotten adults! I will no longer stand for this!” 

“But if we do this you will no longer be alive!” 

“Who cares about something as trivial as that!” 

“Trivial?” I softly chuckled, “your life isn’t trivial,” I removed my glasses from my face, the tears swelled my eyes and quickly gushed down my face, “this isn’t trivial!” I yelled at him. 

“IT...IS!” he yelled back. 

I dropped my glasses on the floor, “it’s not…” I looked down, watching my tears hit the wooden floor.

“You’re an idiot,” Akechi whispered, “my life means noth-“

“I CAN'T IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!” I shouted at him, looking back at him. 

Akechi just stood there. His eyes were glossy, and hands gripped his arms tightly. 

“Do you know the amount of hell I went through when you died? The countless sleepless nights? I might have known hell because of what Shido did to me, he took everything from me to the point my parents kicked me out of my own home and sent me out here to the city for a whole year to live in this cafe’s attic. I was just living until I met you.”

“Akira…” he whispered. 

“My life finally saw through all the darkness when I met you at that tv station. We became friends. We hung out, got to know each other. We played chess and did crossword puzzles together. We even went out to play darts and pool with everyone else and even alone. We went to the jazz shop many times as well. I felt like maybe actually getting my life ruined was a blessing because I met you and everyone else! but then Shido ruined everything again…”

“Akira, calm dow-“

“He took you away from me!” I yelled through the tears that continued to stream down my face, “I am so in love with you that it hurts! I can’t take it anymore! the moment I lost you…” I wiped the tears from my face, my vision cleared up, I stared deeply into Akechi’s eyes, “I can’t lose you again!”

Akechi’s eyes widened, but his face relaxed, “you’re an idiot..” he whispered. 

“But I’m your idiot!” I said cupping my hands to his face, taking every ounce of courage I had left in me, and pushed myself forward, pressing my lips against his, closing my eyes tightly to keep any more tears from coming. 

I felt Akechi’s arms wrap around me, pulling me closer to him. 

I released my lips, pressing my forehead against his and dropped my hands to my side, taking his hands with mine and interlocking our fingers. 

“Why wait until now to throw a tantrum like a child right now?” Akechi chuckled, “you really are an idiot.”

“I felt I would have had more time with you,” we stared into each other’s eyes, “I didn’t think I would lose you so quickly.” 

“Akira…”

“I know, we have to do this.” 

Akechi pulled away from me, planting a kiss to my forehead. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry so much,” he teased as he bent down to pick up my glasses, putting them back on my face, “you didn’t even cry that much when I died.”

“Oh shut the fuck up!” I snapped, “of course I cried like a baby over your ass!” 

“Oh? is that so?” Akechi teased more, walking away from me and heading towards the door. 

“You want to fight again? I’ll kick your ass like last time!” 

“I don’t think I want to do that,” he turned and looked at me, “I don’t want to fight with my boyfriend ever again.” 

My heart stopped, did he just call me his boyfriend?

I remembered our last fight at that moment, we went down to mementos and used our personas. It was literally like a fight to the death. Akechi threw his glove at me later that night as a symbol that our duel and rivalry wasn’t over. 

I patted my jacket pocket, feeling the glove was still there. 

“Why are you staring off into space for?” Akechi asked, “It’s pretty cold outside, and all this emotion drained me, why don’t we hit the bathhouse? I’ll pay for your entry fee.”

I smiled at him, “of course.” 

The next day we returned to Maruki’s palace, with everything ending in our victory. 

And as Maruki said, the world went back how it was supposed to be. 

Anyone who was supposed to be dead went back to the afterlife. Everyone else’s lives went on how it should have. That meant me turning myself in, which is exactly how it should have happened. 

I spent time in juvenile detention, before my teammates and a few others grouped together and proved my innocence, getting all charges on me lifted, including my criminal record. 

But it was also my time to say goodbye. 

My parents were waiting for me back at home, but my family here in the city would be the ones missing me. 

I said my goodbyes, and got on the train ride home. 

Morgana was soundly asleep in my bag, he was cute enough for me to pull out my phone and snap a picture, sending it to our group chat. 

I looked out the window, watching the train pushed away from the platform, watching as more people ran or walked by. 

My heart stopped, seeing a familiar face walking beside other detectives, recognizing that light brown hair. 

I rubbed my eyes, and looked again, but they were gone. 

My boyfriend was gone. 

I sat back in my seat, pulling Akechi’s glove from my pocket, holding it tightly in my hands. 

This was all I had left of him. 

But he gave me more than just some awkward weird love story, he helped give me a life I could actually look forward to. 

“In another life, I would make you stay..” I whispered, “next time, I will make you stay.” 

I smiled at the glove. 

“Damn, I miss you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi! I hope everyone enjoyed this! I sure cried a lot writing this! I love these two so much and love writing for them. thank you all who read this! <3


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